Compartmental powder box having rotary valve means in the partition separating the compartments



Apnl 28, 1953 w. B. OLSEN 2,636,646

' COMPARTMENTAL POWDER BOX HAVING ROTARY VALVE MEANS IN THE PARTITION SEPARATING THE COMPARTMENTS Filed July 26, 1948 A Fm! INVENTOR. W/zz mm 5. 0L5! BY I I e 4 i 2 a Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNKTED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMPARTMENTAL POWDER BOX HAVING ROTARY VALVE MEANS IN THE PARTI- TION SEPARATING THE GOMPARTMENTS William B. Olsen, Berkeley, Calif Application July 26, 1948', Serial No. 40,641 1 Qlaim. (o1. 23218l) This invention relates to containers for smetics such as face powder and like finely divided material.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide an improved powder box which is capable of tightly storing, without danger of spilling, a relatively large supply of face powder or the like in one compartment, and having a relatively small readily accessible dispensing coinpartment for holding a small amount of powder for immediate use, the powder box being so constructed that it enabies a small supply of powder to be easily and quickly transferred from the storage compartment to the dispensing compartment for immediate use without removing the powder from the powder box.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompany-- ing drawings, in which:

Fig, 1 is a perspective view of a powder box embodying my invention and showing the upper compartment for holding a small supply of powder and the valve mechanism for dispensing powder from the storage container, and illustrating the cover of the box in removed condition.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the box.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the powder box.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, If] indicates the powder box here shown as cylin drical in form and having a bottom I! and a peripheral wall The bottom it is positioned to leave a shallow recess i3 at the bottom of the box structure between the under face of the bottom ii and the base or bottom edge of the peripheral wall :2. A partition it divides the interior of the box into two compartments, a storage compartment is and a dispensing compartment it. The partition H3 is formed with two transfer ports ii and i8, which are of relatively large area.

The upper end of the peripheral wall 32 above the partition is threaded as indicated at iii to threadedly engage a top 23. Extending vertically and axially from the bottom ii is a hollow tube 2| within which is a rotatable shaft 22 which is journaled at one end in the partition it at 23, and at the other end in the bottom i i. to the shaft 22 and positioned immediately adj acent the under side of partition id in a flat valve 24. A knob 25 is affixed to the other end of the shaft 22 and is positioned in the recess l3. Rotation of the knob 25 moves the valve 2% to open and close the ports ll and It. A stop pin 25 is Attached fixed on the under surface of the bottom II, the purpose of which is to limit the rotation of the knob 25 and to indicate the position of the valve 24. As an additional aid to the user in determining the position of the valve 24, an arrow as indicated at 21 can be imprinted on one end of the knob 25, and the Words open and closed can be imprinted on the surface of the bottom I I so that it points to open when valve 24 is open, and to closed when said valve is closed.

In use of the device the top 20 is removed, the valve is moved to open position, and powder is poured through the ports I! and I8 into the storage compartment [5. The top 20 is then to be replaced and tightly screwed on the box Iii. To obtain powder for immediate use, the box is inverted and the ports ll and it opened. This permits powder in the storage compartment It to pass through the ports I! and it and into the dispensing compartment l6. When a sufiicient quantity of powder has entered into compartment iii, the valve 24 is moved to cover and close the ports I! and I8. This is accomplished by rotating the knob 25 until the arrow thereon points to the word closed. The box is then turned right side up and the top 20 is removed, exposing the small daily supply of powder in the compartment It for immediate use.

Obviously, the powder stored in the storage compartment will be tightly stored with no likelihood of spilling or scattering when the powder box cover is removed. The amount of powder in the dispensing compartment may, of course, be maintained at a minimum for obvious reasons. From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided an improved but very simple powder box which may be used to safely carry a relatively large supply of fresh powder readily available for immediate use and to provide a smaller quantity of powder always ready for immediate use.

As stated, the ports I! and i8 are large, thus facilitating loading with powder and transfer of powder to the small compartment l6 and avoiding packing of the powder. Thus, should powder become packed in the compartment l6, transfer of powder thereto is not hindered because of the large size of the ports i1 and I8. With smaller ports, such packing would plug the ports and interfere with transfer of powder in either direction.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A powder box comprising a side wall and a bottom closure therefor, a removable top closure, dispensing means disposed near but spaced from the top closure to define a relatively small dispensing compartment thereabove and a relatively large storage compartment therebelow, said means comprising a partition having openings formed therein, a flat valve disk adjacent said partition and rotatable about an axis concentric to the box between an open position intercommunicating said compartments and a closed position sealing said compartments from one another. a bushing extending through said lower compartment from said valve to said bottom closure. a shaft journaled in said bushing, fixed at its upper end to said valve and extending at its lower end through the bottom closure, a knob fixed to the lower end of said shaft for operating the same, said knob being relatively flat, and said side wall of the box extending downwardly beyond the bottom surface of the knob to allow said box to be placed on a flat surface without interference by the knob.

WILLIAM B. OLSEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 457,595 Strasburger Aug. 11, 1891 588,045 Anderson Aug. 10, 1897 1,264,499 Gibbons Apr. 30, 1918 2,120,849 Almonte June 14, 1938 2,339,644 Lucas Jan. 18, 1944 2,460,444 Bering Feb. 1, 1949 2,468,153 Wolfers Apr. 26, 1949 

